How To Dress Up Your Denim Shorts

Ah, denim shorts. You either love em, hate em, or if you're like me - a little bit of both. It takes faith and hope to make the decision to actually shop for them, and when we get there, we need a heaping amount of patience, self love, and a little bit of luck on our side to make it out alive. BUT, when you find a pair that doesn't check off any of those negative boxes: wedgie, camel toe, legs can't breathe but your waist can go swimming, awkward fit, etc... you goddamn START THE CAR.

This has only happened to my three times in my life. Once, when I was 19 and found said pair at Blue Notes. They were the only shorts I wore up until two years ago when I no longer fit in them. Once when I was 24 and found said pair at H&M, and once this year when I wandered into the Levis Outlet determined to be successful. With a high rise, the perfect fray, a medium wash, and nostalgic button-up fly, these stretchy-denim shorts are what I've always been after.

So, how exactly do you dress up your denim shorts? You have to make them about a look. It's more than throwing on a blouse and cute shoes, it's about adding layers and dimension to your outfit so that the first thing someone looks at isn't your shorts - it's the overall vibe of your look.

For the Summer Lookbook, I decided to go with feminine layers to dress up my denim shorts. I adore the way a blazer looks paired with them, but it wasn't what the Lookbook was calling for this year.

A sleek, off-the-shoulder bodysuit with flirty sleeves strikes the balance of dressy and casual, while portraying a classic and feminine vibe to set the tone of the outfit.

From here, accessories are only going to take the look to the next level. A slim pair of sandals with adorable bow details play into the feminine vibe, but adding a silver-buckle belt brings back the element of casual/cool. We see this same dynamic with the rest of the outfit: a brightly tied scarf around the neck for a vintage, feminine feel, and a leather quilted backpack and rockstar sunglasses to ground us back in that casual-cool vibe. Top it off with a classic boater hat, and you my friend have got yourself a damn good look to show off your sexy denim shorts.

$10 (sale) Call It Spring Hat / $7 Winners Bandana (Similar) / $60 Vanderzee Earrings / $20 Forever21 Bodysuit (Similar) / $30 Urban Outfitters Belt / $50 Levis Shorts / $20 H&M Sandals / $20 Forever21 Backpack (Similar)

Check out this post on who what wear for more creative ways to style your shorts this summer.